The new look

This morning I decided to freshen my blog by turning out a new look for 2015. Nothing outlandish, you understand, just a new start for a new year. Accordingly, I went into the “Themes” page and started exploring. I knew I wanted a larger typeface, a clean look to the overall blog, and a different font. You see, unless you’re up to purchasing an upgrade, fonts around here come as “take what you get.” Fond as I am of my usual san serif fonts, I decided to change things up a bit this time around and see how I liked the results.

Several hours of learning and experimentation later, I had changed the theme to one with a font I liked and a set-up that pleased me, arranged the various home page items the way I wanted them, and found a perfect winter image to set off the brand new 2015 blog.

As I went happily off to prepare lunch, I mentally patted myself on the back:  Ahh, a task well done, Susannah!

Later, here I am back at the computer.  As I checked my email messages, I noticed that I had received a “New Post” notice from a blogger with whom I had exchanged comments for the first time just yesterday!  I clicked on the link, read her New Year’s post and admired the lovely accompanying photography (she appears to take most, if not all of her photographs, and she’s good). Well, well, I thought, isn’t that interesting. I used to do photography and darkroom work myself.  I’ll just take a little look around now that I’m here.

I glanced up at the header, a serene winter scene.  In fact, now that I thought about it, the header photograph I had chosen was eerily similar.  A second look at the home page, and the truth suddenly crashed down on me:  I had chosen the same theme as hers!  With a few modest exceptions, my blog theme echoed hers almost exactly!

Oh dear, what to do now?  A host of thoughts tumbled into my head.  What if she thinks I’m nothing but a copycat!  Well, isn’t imitation the sincerest form of flattery? Yeah, but you weren’t consciously imitating anyone at the time; those themes are available for everyone.  Yes, but she isn’t going to know that!  One day it looks like mine, and the very next day it looks like hers!  Maybe she’ll be upset. Should I find another theme?  But I like this theme.  And I worked hard on it.  What am I going to do? Yada, yada, yada….

I’m a slow thinker.  Ideas have to sink all the way down to somewhere in the vicinity of my belly button, where they then sit brewing quietly for varying periods of time. During this hiatus, it’s better if I’m doing something else.  Sooner or later a possible answer wafts its way back upward into my brain cells for processing.  [As other Meyers-Briggs fans know, we INFP’s are simply like that.]

So I put all this nonsense aside and started working on something else.

Sure enough – and true to form – the answer popped up shortly:  I’d provide a link to this other blog site and introduce my own readers to another blogger! Then they’d be able to see for themselves just how alike the two sites are….and also how different, because of course no two writers write the same way or about the same things.

So here we go:  Jude, this is for you!

Folks, do check out The Writer in the Woods – you’ll like it! (I’ve posted a link to one of Jude’s food posts for those of you who, like me, are avid foodies.)

What, you say?  Well, of course I’m a foodie!  Just because I don’t enjoy cooking doesn’t mean I don’t like eating!  Just ask my restaurant companions if you don’t believe me.

And just so we’re clear on who found the theme first:  Jude chose her new theme in 2012, so there.  Great minds think alike, is what it is.  Right?

Namaste,
Susannah